


But Sir, These Are My Emotional Support Cats

by MiddleofNowhere92



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cats, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cats, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Modern Era, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-26 21:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30112311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiddleofNowhere92/pseuds/MiddleofNowhere92
Summary: Yue takes in a pair of stray cats. Zhao is not pleased.
Relationships: Yue/Zhao (Avatar)
Kudos: 9
Collections: 2021 Avatar Pro-Shipping Rare Pair Challenge





	1. Chapter 1

Yue had not officially been living with Zhao for long- her lease had just come to an end last week and really it only made sense that they move in together. 

Unofficially, Yue subconsciously began moving in months ago. It started with her light blue toothbrush next to his red one on the sink, clearing out just a drawer and a few of her Uggs in the entryway.

He was off on a short deployment now, but when he came home he would surely complain because she had turned the guest room into her closet. It’s not like they ever had guests over.  She studied the room, trying to figure out a better storage system for her Uggs, when she heard loud meowing. She glanced down at her watch and noticed she was indeed late. 

Her fuzzy sock clad feet were quiet as she swiftly went down the stairs. She pulled a bag of cat food out of the back of the pantry. The food spilled noisily into the metal bowls as Yue poured it out. After making sure that the bowls were equal, she carried them down another flight of stairs. She wrangled open the front door and her cats were there waiting for her. 

She had named the pair of strays Tui and La. Tui was an oversized himalayan. His fur was a fluffy cream color, his face and paws were more of a dusty gray. His blue eyes were all too knowing and judgmental. La was a mini panther. She had a sleek black coat, with a single white spot on her head. 

Tui meowed louder upon seeing Yue, probably thinking the louder he meowed the faster she would put down his bowl. He wasn’t wrong. Yue hurriedly placed their food bowls outside. As the two began to eat, the cold wind blew. Yue peered down at her two furry little friends. Tui would probably be fine, his thick dense coat protecting him from the elements, but what about La? Yue studied the smaller cat as she ate. Her thin coat wasn’t made to keep out the harsh wind. 

She could hear Zhao’s usual abhorrence for the cats even though he wasn’t home-

_ Why do you insist on feeding those vermin? _

_ You know feeding stray cats just adds to the stray problem. _

_ We should just call animal control.  _

And every evening, Yue would be affronted on behalf of Tui and La. She would argue-

_ How can you say that about them? They’re so cute! _

_ They’re good cats. You’re just grumpy.  _

_ We can’t call animal control! They’ll just put them down.  _

And then she would turn to her much older boyfriend and pout-

_ Pleeease can we keep them? _

And he would look at her through his glasses as he kicked off his boots-

_ Absolutely not. You know how allergic I am.  _

And then she would say goodbye to her cats and go about the rest of her evening. 

But tonight, there was no grumpy boyfriend to tell her no…

Yue’s blue eyes looked down again as the cats finished their food. She really shouldn’t…

Another cold breeze hit Yue. She hurriedly beckoned the cats in. 

Tui sauntered in as if he had lived in the townhome his whole life. La on the other hand, had not moved from her food bowl. La had always been the more hesitant of the two cats. Yue plopped on the floor and crossed her legs. She rubbed her fingers together to beckon the cat in. 

La’s yellow eyes studied Yue. She heard Tui’s heavy footsteps dash up the stairs. Yue didn’t know how she was going to explain the cat hair to Zhao, but that was a different problem for a different day. 

Suddenly, La raced past Yue and up the stairs. Clearly, already missing her other half. 

Yue grabbed the empty bowls and brought them inside. She shut the front door, keeping the cold outside where it belonged. 


	2. Chapter 2

Zhao was relieved that their deployment had been cancelled. It was getting harder and harder to be out at sea, as he got older, even though this was supposed to be a shorter trip. It was late in the night by the time he was able to leave the ship and head home. 

The townhome was dark and empty looking as he walked inside. He smiled a bit to himself thinking of his pretty young girlfriend in bed asleep. He stepped over the threshold of the door, only to feel a weight against his ankle and be sent tumbling towards the floor. 

He panicked as he heard an animalistic shrieking noise. He sputtered curses as he attempted to pick himself up. He tried to push himself up, but his hand touched something furry and a sharp pain dug into his hand. 

He finally managed to stand, flicking on the lights. He was faced with the large white demon cat Yue insisted on feeding every day. It hissed threateningly at him. How in the world had it gotten in the house?

Zhao heard soft steps come down the stairs, He looked up to see Yue, rubbing the tiredness from her eyes and cradling a small black cat. 

Many sailors feared coming home from a deployment and finding their partner in bed with another man. The betrayal Zhao felt was similar to that. He left for not even one night and she let these miserable flea ridden creatures into his home? 

He isn’t even being an unreasonable asshat this time. He has legitimate reasons for not wanting these things in his house. He’s allergic for fuck sake. A fact that he’s told her every night for the last few months. He’s ready to demand the cats be tossed onto the street from where they came. He has his arguments on the tip of his tongue. 

But his resolve cracked as Yue sleepily smiled at him. Her braids are a delightful mess, like they are every night when she sleeps. She’s wearing one of his old navy t-shirts and suddenly the cretins aren’t the threat they first seemed. 

Yue comes over and nuzzles into him, but then he sneezes. Not once, but over and over. 

Finally it stops and Yue at least looks a little guilty. 

She stammered, “It was so cold outside and they looked so sad.”

He grumbled, “You know I’m allergic.” 

At that moment, the fat white one began wildly scratching at the carpeting on the stairs. Zhao glared at it in disdain. 

Yue’s voice spoke above the noise, “I’ll take care of them, you won’t even notice they’re here.”

“We can keep that one.” He answered, pointing at the docile black cat in her arms. Yue's blue eyes looked horrified, as if he had just kicked one of them, “We can’t throw Tui back outside. We can’t separate them!” 

The white fur ball came over and curled itself around Yue’s tanned legs. She cooed, “I know, you’re such a good boy. Tell Daddy you’ll be a good boy.”

Zhao was tired. He had spent all day on his ship. His feet and back were killing him. He wanted to be asleep or having sex, not arguing about a fucking cat. He gave in, “Fine, but one hair out of line and they go back out.”

Her smile was bright as she grinned, “Yes, Sir!”


	3. Chapter 3

Yue sat at the kitchen counter studying. Zhao’s voice carried from the living room, “You got fur all over me. I’m telling your mother to put you back outside.” Tui mewoed loudly back in response to the threat. 

She smiled to herself as she kept taking notes. A few minutes later, her boyfriend’s voice sounded, “You’re a real asshole you know that? Don’t climb on the fucking TV.” 

It went on like this as it had every day for the last year, with Zhao cursing Tui and Tui meowing back spitefully. 

After awhile Yue got lost in her studies, but she noticed she hadn’t heard further argument from her boys. She scooped La off the counter and they walked over to the living room. Zhao was sprawled out on the couch, snoring loudly, his glasses skewed from forgetting to take them off. Tui was curled into a tight ball on Zhao’s broad chest, fast asleep. Yue turned carrying La out of the room and asked, “Boys are silly aren’t they?” La purred in agreement. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to crookedmouth-mountainbones for giving Tui and La their breeds and for reminding me I even had this idea. I had completely forgotten about it. 
> 
> Zhao in glasses is a HC from tumblr user fuck--the--moon. 
> 
> This fic is for the 'sir this is my emotional support___' prompt for the 2021 ATLA rarepair pro shipping challenge. If you haven't gotten enough of my idiocy come be my fren on [tumblr](https://middleofnowhere92.tumblr.com)


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